Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Welcome to my stop at "The Sowing" Blog Tour hosted my Giselle from Expresso Book Tours!I can´t wait to tell you my thoughts on this, so keep reading, because at the end on this post you will find a Giveaway!

Remy Alexander was born into the elite meritocracy of the
Okarian Sector. From an early age, she and her friends were programmed
for intellectual and physical superiority through specialized
dietary regimes administered by the Okarian Agricultural Consortium. But
when her older sister Tai was murdered in a brutal classroom massacre,
her parents began to suspect foul play. They fled the Sector, taking
their surviving daughter underground to join the nascent Resistance
movement. But now, three years later, Remy’s former schoolgirl crush,
Valerian Orleán, is put in charge of hunting and destroying the
Resistance. As Remy and her friends race to unravel the mystery behind
her sister’s murder, Vale is haunted by the memory of his friendship
with Remy and is determined to find out why she disappeared. As the
Resistance begins to fight back against the Sector, and Vale and Remy
search for the answers to their own questions, the two are set on a
collision course that could bring everyone together—or tear
everything apart.

My Thoughts I dived into this book while being in a really frustrating and unnerving reading slumb. I knew I needed a really good and action packed book to keep me entertained, and out of sheer frustration - because I couldn´t find anything fitting for that in my shelf - I started reading The Sowing. And oh my god, that was really all I needed to get me back on the reading track! It was awesome and I couldn´t put it down!

I believe that the beginning of this book decided things for me. I´ve rarely read a more shocking and addicting first chapter of a book. The book doesn´t start of with the protagonist Remy Alexander, but with her older sister Tai. I don´t want to give much away, because I know I was thrilled, excited and overwhelmed by this very first chapter for the simple reason that no one had spoiled me! I think as a reader you really have to dive into this story knowing almost nothing, it´s so much better this way!

Now let me just tell you how absolutely a-m-a-z-i-n-g the character development is! They are so real and full of life and most importantly: real! Every action and every move they make I could understand, because it was in no way forced, but natural! Let´s just keep in mind that 3 persons wrote this great story. Honestly, you can´t tell by reading the book...that really says something about the harmony in that writing trio.

If I thought I liked Tai, then let me tell you that I adored Remy, it was a bit hard for me though, because the abrupt narrator change in the beginning made me feel very, very sad. Still, Remy is a wonderful young girl that wants the world to become a better place. Remy is part of a resistance group that is working against the government. The government is the sole authority when it comes to food and water, no citizen is allowed to grow crops and has to depend on the government. Not that anyone would be able to grow crops, because the DNA for those is known to be long lost.It is very hard for me to describe the world that is shown in The Sowing, because it is so utter complex. You can really tell that the authors put a lot of thought and knowledge of DNA, molecules and helices into it. It is a true and very terrifying dystopia that has so much potential to become true.Then the love triangle. I´m not a fan of love triangles, because I tend to always be part of the team that loses in the end. This love triangle consists of Remy, Vale and Soren. The point of view changes each chapter between Remy and Vale. Those two were in love when they were still in school together. Vale is the semi-villain in this scenario. Semi, because he just doen´t know better. The true villain in this story is his mother, who is willing to go very far in order to protect her perfect little world. I know that Vale is a good guy, I really do, but I can´t help myself that I´m part of Team Soren! He had a troubling past and had to give so much up when he became part of the resistance, but I loved him almost from the start. He really cares for Remy and always looks out for her, even if he acts like a total jerk. I was so happy when they finally got along and developed feelings for each other.So please, please, please let this dystopia end well for Soren and Remy. I couldn´t stand if she ended up with Vale...I really can´t wait for the next book!The Yearning Mermaid says:" This is the perfect fit for fans af dystopias, action and a well-written story! Pick it up!"

About the Author K. Makansi is the pen name for the writing triumvirate consisting
of Amira, Elena, and Kristina Makansi. Two sisters and their mother,
the three women developed a passionate interest in science fiction as a
way to write about issues of food sovereignty and food justice. Elena
is pursuing a degree in environmental studies at Oberlin College in
Ohio, and will graduate in May of 2014. Amira was a history student at
the University of Chicago whose day job working in the cellar of a
winery (and constantly being splattered with wine) keeps her busy when
she’s not writing. And Kristy owns and operates Blank Slate Press,
an independent publishing company based out of St. Louis, and is a
partner at Treehouse Publishing Group, a company providing editorial and
design services to aspiring authors. When not writing or reading, the
three can be found having animated discussions around the dinner table,
sharing a good bottle of wine, or taking long walks in the park eagerly
plotting out their next book.

The Giveaway Thanks to K. Makansi I have an ebook copy of "The Sowing" to share with you guys! The giveaway ends on April 5th and all you have to do is follow the instructions on the rafflecopter! I will contact the winner at the end of the giveaway. Open internationally!Please note that the winner must contact me back within 48 hours or I will select another winner!

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Unravel me

Unravel me is a meme made by myself that shows aspects of my life. This time: Me, myself and a reading slumb.Honestly, I wish I could give you a 100% accurate recipe on how to get out of a frustrating and almost never ending reading slumb, but I can´t. Right now I find myself in one and it is more than annoying. I blame work at the moment, because it really does take up a lot of space in my life right now. When I get home I´m too tired to pick up a book and I just feel like relaxing on the couch or going to bed early. Maybe if I had a really, really awesome book waiting for me I could dust myself off and try to read a book again, but nothing seems to grab my attention that way. There are actually a few really great books on my night table, don´t get me wrong! Books like Shatter me or World After, but still...Today I will force myself to read. It sounds like it will hurt, but I know that my future self will be grateful to my present self in the end. Maybe all it really takes is a little force to get out of a reading slumb...A little force never hurt nobody?!Have you ever been in a reading slumb? And how did you get out of it? Tell me in the comments!

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Welcome to my stop at the Muse Unexpected Blog Tour! I´m really excited to share my thoughts about this book with you guys and I´m happy that I got the opportunity to revoew this title!

The Book

Title: Muse UnexpectedAuthor: V.C. Birlidis Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

“We’re Muses. Not vampires, not fairies, not werewolves. We’re
Muses.” Sophie was sure her mother had reached an epic level of crazy.
‘We’re Muses?’ She thought Muses were lame, not to mention she found the
idea ridiculous. However, Sophie couldn’t explain away her physical
transformation that made Anne Hathaway in The Princess Diaries look like
a bad Walmart make-over, not to mention why her mood swings triggered
an uncontrollable ability to shoot powerful bursts of energy out of her
hands.Sophie soon realizes modern day Muses have evolved into powerful
guardians of humankind, tasked with keeping mortals on the right path
and the original Olympians locked away from the world. But old hatreds
don’t die easily, especially for immortal enemies that have an eternity
to plot and gather their forces. Well aware of the Fates’ foretelling of
another Olympian war, and a young Muse that would rise up as a warrior
and defeat them, the Olympians have vowed to either possess Sophie or
destroy her. Either way, they will make sure everyone associated with
their imprisonment will reap an eternal damnation in the Underworld,
leaving the Olympians to restore Mount Olympus and force humankind into a
future of never-ending servitude and misery.

My Thoughts I still find it very hard to make up my mind about this this book. There were so many aspects about it that I loved, but almost just as many that annoyed me!

First things first: I loved the world setting and the idea behind the book. A book about muses and mythology?! Well, that got my attention! I can honestly say that I´ve never read anything like that before, and I´ve read quite a lot in my young life... This is a really interesting and exciting new take on this genre and I´m really liking it!

Then the characters. And here I will probably have a few people that disagree with me completly. I liked Sophie, don´t get me wrong, but more than just a few times I wished I could reach through the pages and slap her. Many people liked that she acts like a "real" teenager, but I did not feel it. I mostly felt annoyed with her behaviour in the beginning, which fortunately changed once she accepted her fate.

With Muse Unexpected you get a cryptic and mysterious story that is most of the time pretty fast-paced and keeps you glued to the pages. I felt like the author used this first book in order to introduce the whole world-setting and overall story. I´m pretty sure Birlidis has more in stock for this series and I´m sure I will be pretty eager to jump back into this series!

The Yearning Mermaid says:" If you are a fan of mythology and tired of the typical angel/vampire/werewolf stories, then you should try this series! Something different altogether!

The Author V.C. Birlidis was born and raised in Miami, Florida and has always
been involved in the arts. He attended the New World School of the Arts
and was a member of The Miami Ballet.Mr. Birlidis moved to Ohio to attend college where he earned his
Bachelor’s degree in marketing and communications from Capital
University. He currently is the Director of Marketing at one of the top
midwest advertising agencies, SBC Advertising. He has freelanced as a
writer for Outlook News and Tickled Pink Magazine, where he wrote a
comical advice column named Ask V.Five years in the making and inspired by the numerous Greek myths his
father would utilize as demented bed time stories, Muse, Unexpected is
Mr. Birlidis’ first novel. It is the first book in his Muse series.

Monday, March 3, 2014

You all know that I´m an absolute fan of dystopian stories! So no wonder I jumped up at the chance to help promote a short story collection that is full of dystopias! You will surely find a review of this collection on my blog in some time! And can I just address this awesome cover real quick, please?! STUNNING!

Sunday, March 2, 2014

February is over, tests are over and I´m finally back on track with blogging and filming! What a relief! February was quite uneventful here on The Yearning Mermaid, but I´m still going to wrap this awful month up :)Reviews

All her life, clever Aemi has
been a slave in the Village of the Rocks, a place where the sea and sky
meet. She’s heard the stories about the fabled People of the Sea, a
people who possess unimaginable technology who live below the waves in
the dark, secret places of the ocean. But she never dreamed those
stories were true.

When a ship emerges from the ocean and men
burn her village, Aemi is captured, and enslaved below the waves in
Itlantis, a world filled with ancient cities of glass and metal,
floating gardens, and wondrous devices that seem to work magic. To make
matters worse, her village nemesis, the stuck-up mayor’s son Nol, was
captured with her, and they are made servants in the same household
beneath the sea.

Desperate to be free, Aemi plots her escape,
even going so far as to work with Nol. But the sea holds more secrets
than she realizes, and escape might not be as simple as leaving…

Author Interview Describe Of Sea and Stone in six words.

Atlantis, steampunk, sunlight, seawater,
secrets, romance.

What books have
you read and loved lately?

I am almost finished with Finnikin of the Rock by Melina
Marchetta, and it’s an absolute delight. Witty, immersive, and utterly
compelling fantasy that reminds me very much of my beloved Megan Whalen Turner
books.

Ice cream or
cake?

Ice cream cake, of course! It’s the best
of both worlds.

What authors
have influenced your writing style the most?

I grew up on a pretty steady diet of
mystery, actually, so I feel like classic mystery authors like Agatha Christie
had a strong influence on me. When I was a teenager, I started reading fantasy
by authors like Robin McKinley, Gail Carson Levine, and Sherwood Smith. The Blue Sword, Ella Enchanted, Crown Duel...I
loved those books. I also had a huge love of historical fiction, so Ann
Rinaldi, Elizabeth George Speare, and Eloise Jarvis McGraw influenced me a lot
as well. As far as more recently-written books that I didn’t grow up reading, I
continue to be an awe of fantasy authors Megan Whalen Turner (The Thief, The Queen of Attolia, etc.)
and Melina Marchetta (Finnikin of the
Rock), dystopian author Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games), and contemporary young adult authors Lucy
Christopher (Stolen) and John Green (A Fault in Our Stars).

If you had to
pick a shoe that represented your writing style, what would it be?

Have you seen those canvas shoes where an
artist has drawn original artwork on the front and sides and is selling them
online? I think my books are like that—in some ways they feel familiar, but
they have their own surprises and twists that make them unique.

Who has been the
most supportive person in your writing career?

My husband. About two years into trying
to get published, I was ready to give up on my stories and get a job doing
something tremendously ill-suited for me, like being a secretary (I am a very
bad secretary. Very disorganized). He convinced me to give it more time, and he
is probably the sole reason I am published today. He is my first reader, my
strongest encourager, and my most reliable critic.

Are you working
on anything else currently?

Yes!
I’m currently hard at work on the second book in the Secrets of Itlantis
series, and I’m also working on a few secret projects on the side—one is a more
traditional fantasy, another is a post-apocalyptic novel. I hope to have more
details about them for my readers very soon.

The Author I live in Georgia with my wonderful husband and two spoiled cats. When
I'm not writing, I'm usually catching up on my extensive Netflix queue,
reading a book, giggling at something funny online, or trying
to convince my husband to give me just ONE bite of whatever he's eating.

Learn more about my writing and books at my blog, find teasers for upcoming works on my Facebook page, and subscribe to my new releases newsletter to be notified of new novels as soon as they hit stores!

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Hi my lovely readers! I know it´s been a while, but my tests are finally over, which means that I´m going to have more time to blog and film! Yay! And what kind of video would make an awesome start?! A Book Haul, of course! Have fun watching!

Dear Authors and Publicists,

I am happy to review any current or upcoming Young Adult/Adult Romantic Fantasy releases from authors and publicists. I would also be happy to host author interviews, guest posts and giveaways to help promote your book as long as it is of the Young Adult or Adult Romantic Fantasy genre. Please take a look at my review policy and feel free to contact me via the contact form!